Remove oil from cracked stock without damaging finish?

[FLOPPY_DISK]

I have a Japanese Type 38 that has an oil-soaked stock. I washed it in Murphys Oil Soap and about 20% of the finish came off! The stock is stained a dark color on the inside from the oil that has been soaking into it for 80+ years. The oil needs to be removed from the stock so that the cracks can be glued. I don't want these cracks to spread. How does one remove oil from a stock without damaging a finish that is known to be somewhat delicate?

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[Lee Enfield]

Try naptha camp stove fuel and a paper towel.

[usabaker]

The oil needs to be removed from the stock so that the cracks can be glued. I don't want these cracks to spread. How does one remove oil from a stock without damaging a finish that is known to be somewhat delicate?

I think what you are asking is how to remove the oil that has crept inside the crack without removing the finish? This is not an easy solution without seeing the cracks and location. What you will need to do is flood the crack so that the oil and dirt in the cracks are removed enough so that the glue can adhere to the wood. One of the reasons that you are not getting an answer to your question is that there is not enough information and because no one wants to take the responsibility and blame if the corrective procedure doesn't take.

You are going to lose some finish in the area of the repair no matter what if you use what I suggest, and I take no responsibility for any outcome, remember a glued crack is not reversible, the glued area will end up stronger then the areas around it.

I can only give you general information on cleaning the cracks because I do not know the extent of the crack, placement, and what process I could use to compress the crack while the glue drys. I'm only going to tell you how "I" clean SOME cracks out.

DISCLAIMER ***** USE Personal Protective Equipment to include, CHEMICAL GOGGLES and a Respirator! Don't do this around heat or open flame, No Smokin of Anything. I'm not responsible if you injure yourself ************* Don't Do This at Home Kids

Since you want to limit the removal of finish you will need to protect the area around the crack. Sometimes the stuff used to protect the crack can also remove the finish or cause blemishes. This is the case with products some I've seen and heard other use like Plasti Dip and Flex Seal, you will read about them I do not recommend using them. They use solvents as their thinning agent and this can (may) remove or damage your finish. I use a brushable SKIN SAFE product called Dragon Skin by Smooth On https://www.smooth-on.com/product-line/dragon-skin/ because your stock is oiled, it will stick but not 100 percent and the TechSpray E-LINE IPA can work up under it. This is why I say you will lose some finish. Try the Dragon Skin it on an inconspicuous area before applying it to the crack area to test if it will react/remove the finish. I have not had a problem with it, but I have not tried it on every possible aged finish.

Once you test it won't damage the finish, brush the Dragon Skin on to the stock around (not in or on the crack) crack to be repaired. Once the Dragon Skin has dried invert the stock so the crack is facing down. Now use a product called TechSpray E-LINE IPA in aerosol form.

https://www.techspray.com/content/ms...OL_ENG_TDS.pdf

TechSpray E-LINE IPA is a 99.8% pure isopropyl alcohol product that comes with a tube that connects to the spray nozzle like the one you get with WD-40. Put the tube on the spray nozzle and hold it on the crack starting that one and moving to the other while spraying to flood the crack, you should see dirt and oil coming out with the liquid. Wait 3 minutes between each run so the solvent has time to dissolve more oils, but not dry out. Repeat until the runoff looks clean. You can use a white paper to stick in the crack to see how clean it might be if you push the paper in, it should come out clean; if not repeat.

Whatever the TechSpray E-LINE IPA his will get cleaned off, so make sure you cover the areas you don't want to be touched. Check the Dragon Skin often and replace it as necessary, but let the TechSpray E-LINE IPA dry first!

AGAIN: Since I am not the one performing the repair and cleaning, I am not responsible for the results you get.

Let the stock dry at a minimum overnight before starting the glue repair. For the glue I would use Acraglass with black dye, using LIGHT air pressure to force it down into the cracks.

[Flying10uk]

Have you tried gluing your stock as is?

[browningautorifle]

gluing your stock as is

The oil will probably preclude it from sticking.

[WarPig1976]

Sometimes it's better to just leave little cracks alone.

[Flying10uk]

The reason that I ask as to have you tried gluing your stock "as is" is because some "super glue" adhesives seem able to tolerate a certain amount of oil in the wood and still work. However, there will presumably be a certain level of oil in the wood at which they won't work.

[Sunray]

I wouldn't worry about the finish. It's already gone. Kind of suspect it's too late for the stock too. Oil in wood will permanently damage it, but try soaking it in some mineral spirits. Permanently damaged oiled wood will be soft and punky.

[FLOPPY_DISK]

Maybe the finish is closer to 10% gone than 20%...

The good news is the part of the cracks that are wide enough to get adhesive into are all on the unfinished, oil soaked side, under the action.

I want to remove as much of the oil as possible, because I read that it is the oil soaking into the unfinished part of the stock under the action that causes the cracking.

That seems to be where all the cracking is located. If this is true, is oil removal from the stock a standard procedure for keeping the rifle in good shape?

Actually now I'm wondering if the inside of the stock was originally unfinished or not?
I am not experienced with wood-stock rifles, but it looks like many of them are not not finished on the 'inside'.

[usabaker]

soft and punky

Soft and punkey can sometimes be salvaged by using resins forced into the wood in a vacuum chamber, depends on the extent and how much you want to keep the stock vs finding a correct replacement.

---------- Post added at 04:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:29 PM ----------

Actually now I'm wondering if the inside of the stock was originally unfinished or not?

That depends on the manufacturing process and at what point in the wart it was made. Remove the receiver from the stock and carefully use a heat gun or hairdryer to WARM (NOT BURN) up the wood to see how much oil seeps and beads up in the inside. if you get a consistent even layer of oil to rise then the stock was more then likely dipped when it was made.